Cipher oode and apparatus



2 Sheets-Sheet.- 1.

(ModeL) R. T. ONEY."

GIPHER OODB AND APPARATUS.

N0. 266,875.F Patented Oct. 31, 1882.,

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R. T. ONEY.

UIPHEB. 001m AND APPARATUS.

No. 266,875. Patented'Oot. 31, 1882.

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ROBERT T. ONEY, OF HUNTINGTON, \VEST VIRGINIA.

ClPHER CODE AND APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 266,875, dated October31, 1882.

Application filed May 13, 1882. (Model) To all whom it may concern:

Beltknowntl1atI,ROBER1T.ONEY,OfHuntington,in the county ofOabellandState ofWest Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Cipher Codes and Appa' ratus for Same; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon, which form part of this specification, and in whichFigure 1 is a side elevation of my apparatus. Fig. 2 is a centralvertical section on the line 00 a", Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-section onthe line yy, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a side elevation, partly in section,ofthe core. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a modification of my improvedapparatus,illustratingonepractical mode ot'using the code of signs orsignals.

My invention has relation to the transmission of a code of signalswhereby thought can be transmitted secretly and intelllgibly, and at thesame time economically, and also for personal identification betweenindividuals.

This invention has especial relation to the transmission of ideas bysigns, signals, colors, or other markssuch as names-between individualsor corporations or societies.

The nature of my invention consists in a new and improved system,combined with an apparatus whereby asenten ce com posed ot'arbitrarywords, numerals, or other signs can be reduced to one word, number,mark, or other intelligible sign, and transmitted from one person orbody of persons to another, as will be fully understood from thefollowing description, when taken in connection with the annexeddrawings.

In carryingout my invention I shall now proceed to describe onepractical mode ofcarrying it into efi'ect. I shall first do this bydescribing my improved machine.

The letter A designates the base of the machine. A A are rods which areattached to the head B The rods A A are connected to B B B so that theseparts will rotate with the head B The column consists of the parts B B BB B B and a cylindrical collar, B, inside of which latter is acylindrical head, B, having a head or flange of greater diameter thanthe collar 13".

O designates a rod, which is rigidly fixed at its lower end to the baseA, and which receives upon it a tube, D. This to be is rigidly securedto the head 13 which is loosely fitted into the collar B, and which isallowed to be removed from the hollow cylinders, carryingthe guiderodswith it. When the head B and its tube are properly adjusted in theirplaces I confine them thereto by means of a nut and washer, as shown inFig. 2. The cylindrical collar B, which is arranged between the flangeof the head B and the section B is free to rotate aboutits verticalaxis, and it has concentrically formed on it a cylindrical shaft, E,which is stepped upon the base A, and which receives freely through itthe tube I), about which it is allowed to rotate. The shalt E is groovedvertically,orin a direction parallel toits axis, and in these groovesare applied slides FF F hearing respectively on their upper ends angularplates, the vertical portions a a c of which pass through a slot whichis made through the base of the collar 13, and are free to play up anddown between this collar and the cyliir drical. head L The collar B hasa horizontal oblong opening, I), through it, which exposes to viewcertain characters marked on the vertical portions a a a as will behereinafter explained, and also an opening, I), which is designed toexpose to view certain other characters which are indicated upon theperiphery of the head B It will be seen that I have combined withvertically-movable slides and the plates c a M, which may form partofthe slides F F F a cylindrical head, which rotates in a plane at rightangles to said slides. I can thus bring into view any numericalcon'lbination, or any desired combinationof characters other than thenumbers indicated on the vertical slides, or together therewith, whichof course may be arbitrary. The cylinders will be provided on theirfaces with numbers, words, sentences, or other characters.

The eylinderB is cup-shaped, and is adapted to allow the angularportions to a a to be depressed and to have free vertical play. The

lower end of this cylinder 13 has an internal flange and receives withinit the cylindrical tenon of the section B, which centers it and allowsit free circular play with the guide-rods The section B is provided withtenons on both ends, and is an intermediate section between the sectionB and the section B The section B has a helical groove in it, in whichis received a pin, 0, fixed on the slide F. The turn of the groove isexactly equal to the highest or lowest strokes whichit is desired togive the said slide F, in a complete rotation of the section B.

B designates a simple female cylinder, which is placed between thesection B and the section B which latter is provided with tenons on bothends, precisely like the section B, and, in fact, is a duplicate of thissection B. The helical groove in the section B is equal to one turn ofthis section, and is adagted to receive the pin 0 on the slide F and togive vertical movement to the latter. This section B is applied to afemale section, B, which is applied to the lowest one of the sections,(lettered 15,) the lower end of which is recessed into the base A. Thelowest section is screwgrooved like its corresponding superimposedfellows, B B and in the helical groove of this section is received astud or pin, 0 which is fixed to the lower part of the slide F.

Itis obvious that the same order of arrangementof the male and femaleparts ofthe column may be repeated according to the number of slideswhich it may he desired to employ, and of course the number of slidesand their upper terminal plates used maybe multiplied at pleasure.

Instead of the vertical rods A, which I have above described, for thepurpose of holding the cylindrical sections B B 13 while turning abouttheir vertical axes, lmay employ an inclosure suitably adapted to thepurpose as an equivalent of the guide-rods A. Such inclosure may be madeof glass or any transparent material, provided that the characters canbe read from the outside of the said casin g.

The plained may be made portable; or, if desired, it may be made on asmall scale and used on a table in an office. The same principle isapplicable to light-houses, where the signals, which I shall hereinafterexplain, can be made intelligible to vessels at sea, either during thenight or during the day.

The code which I have invented, and which depends upon the machine whichI have above described, consists in applying to the fixed and movablesections of the machine characters differing from each other, which,when they are adjusted so that they will register according to apredetermined arrangement, will indicate at once the thought which isdesired to be conveyed. On the circumference of the fixed part B may beindicated a sentence, a figure, or other character. I am now describinga single one, or a series, of the characters used in my system.

instrument which I have above ex-,v

It will be obvious from what follows that I do not confine myself to theprecise character or combination of characters herein shown, as Ireservethe right to adopt any character, mark, or symbol which may be foundmost desirable in carrying out my invention.

On the circumference of the movable part B certain other characters areapplied, which, when they are adjusted in apposition with the characterson the part B will indicate the thought which it is desired to express.On the circumference of the part B which isinside of the part B, I applyin any suitable manner let,- ters, characters, ormarks, which can beexposed to view through the opening I), made through the part B, asillustrated in Fig. 1. On each one of the plates which is exposedthrough the horizontal slot 1) are characters commencing with 0, andcontinuing in a vertical line with the numerals 1 2 34 5 6 7 8 9. Thesecharacters may be made visible byimprinting on the surface of orperforating the said plates, or by any other means whereby they can beclearly seen. These characters may be illuminated by a light of anysuitable kind placed in the head or in any other convenient locality.

I will now describe one practical mode ofcarrying my invention intoeffect. Suppose, for instance, that A draws a draft on B in favor of Gfor any amount, and A and B possess the machines which I have abovedescribed, or the equivalent thereof. A and B are made acquainted with acertain combination or key, by means of which they can individuallycommunicate with each other.

To illustrate one practical mode of carrying my invention into effect, Iwill explain. The drawer and drawee are individual banks or othercorporations, while the payee is the individual who is therepresentative of himself or some company. I will designate saidparties, respectively, in the order above mentioned, by AB 0.Now,forexample,Aand Beach possess a machine such as I have described,which machines are duplicates and agree upon a common combination-say,.for instance, the number 881, V, as shown through the horizontalopening b and the vertical opening I) through the case B inclosing thehead B when the same are taken together. Now, suppose that O isapurchaser from A of a draftsay, ($4,000,) four thousand dollars. Now,when U is furnished with the word absorb, as indicated on the cylinder13* of Fig. 5, immediately above the sentence indicated on the cylinderB on said figure, then all which is necessary for O to do when hepresents his draft to B for payment is to give B the word supplied him(0) by Aviz., the word absorbeither verbally or by writin gthe same inconnection with his indorsement on the said draft. Now, B will adjusthis machine to the combination previously agreed upon between himselfand A-viz., 881,V when the amount for which the draftisdrawnto wit, fourthousand dollars-is shown in the sentence four thousand on the cylinderB IIO while the word which has given is indicated in exact alignmenttherewith on the cylinder B and the machine of 13 will stand ineveryparticular like the machine of A at the time he furnished 0 with hisdraft and the word absorb. It naturally follows that 0 must be theidentical person who transacted the business with A, and the latter isjustified in making payment to him, (J. It is obvious that in formingthis combination with the number 881, either the word, letter, or numbercan be taken; or the three characters together may be used.

It will be seen that I donot connect any one of the ring-sections B B Bto the guide-rods A, but that lunite the sections B, B B and B together,so that they will all turn together- At the same time I allow andprovide for the independent rotary movement of the intermediatesections, for the purpose explained. The parts B B are rigid with therods A, and part B together with the said parts, serve as supports forthe intermediate cylinders.

Having thus fully described my invention, what i claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The combination of therotary head having intelligible characters on it, the inclosing shellthereof, having an opening through it, slides which are verticallymovable and arranged opposite said opening, and cylinders, which havecharacters on them which are movable about the said vertical axis, allconstructed and arranged to operate substantially in the manner and forthe purposes specified.

2 The combination of a rotary cylinder, an inclosing shell therefor,provided with an angular opening, vertical slides, which are exposedthrough said opening, and characters on said cylinders, which are alsoexposed to view through the opening made through said cylinder, allconstructed and arranged to operate substantially in the manner and forthe purposes described.

3. The within-described means of operating a cipher code, consisting ofa combination of difi'erent characters, which are arranged on movableslides and cylinders adjustable at right angles to each other, wherebyany secret key can be arranged, all substantially in the mannerdescribed.

4.. The combination of the internally-screwgrooved male rings orcylinders, the intermediate female rings or cylinders, the core or shaftE of the shell B, the slides which are moved by said screw-groovedrings, the angular plates, which are rigid with said slides, the head orcup on the core or shat't E, and the shell surrounding said head, allconstructed and arranged substantially in the manner and for the purposedescribed.

5. The combination of the rods A, or the equivalent thereof, the head B,the shell B,

the ring E the intermediate rotary internallyscrewthreaded rings, andthe adjustable slides actuated by turning said head, the characters onthe said slides and head being exposed to view substantially in themanner and for the purposes described.

6. As a new and improved article of manufacture, the combination of acolumn of rotary rings or hollow cylinders independently adjustable, anadjustable end or cap,and vertically-movable slides, which areadjustable by means of the said cap, and which are exposed to viewthrough the shell or part surrounding the latter, substantially as andfor the purposes specified.

In testimony that 1 claim the foregoing as my own lai'iix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

HO. T. ()NEY.

Witnesses:

'1. H. ALEXANDER, WM. R. KEYWORTH.

